WRs Looking Good

Posted: February 26th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 34 Comments »

I anticipate the Eagles adding at least one WR in the upcoming draft.  Might be a big guy.  Might be a fast guy.  That depends on how the DeSean Jackson / FA situation plays out.  No matter which way the Eagles decide to go, there will be good targets.

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* Ga Tech WR Stephen Hill ran 4.30 and caught the ball really well.  He’s now in the mix for a mid-2nd round pick.  Guy is 6’4, 215.  Still raw, but has big time potential.

* Notre Dame star Michael Floyd ran 4.42 and also caught the ball well.  Good day for him.  He’s 6’3, 220.  He could be good value at pick 15.  I’m just not sure a 1st round WR makes sense for us.

* Joe Adams and Kendall Wright are burners who didn’t post great times.  That isn’t a huge deal for me. Those guys are fast on game tape.  Adams lit up the Senior Bowl.  Their times weren’t “slow”.  They just weren’t what we expected to see.

* Mohamed Sanu only ran a 4.65, but he’s a big, possession receiver.  I think he could be a real help to the Eagles offense.  A 40 time like that won’t hurt him, but it will keep him from being over-drafted.  Sanu could last until the mid-2nd.  I’m really intrigued by the thought of him as an Eagle.

* Michigan State has 2 receivers I like a lot.  Just re-watched the Big Ten title game on Friday night and both BJ Cunningham and Keshawn Martin played well.  BJ is the big guy who can work the middle, but still has some speed.  Martin is smaller, but still tough.  Also a RS.  Would love to see one of them end up in Eagles green.

* Might want to forget about Greg Dwight Jones as a target.  Mike Mayock showed a highlight of him not running a drill correctly and then not hustling at the end.  Apparently the coaches there got on him for that.  One of those coaches was David Culley, the Eagles WR coach.

* * * * *

Questions/Topics from earlier:

* Luke Kuechly short arms.  Having short arms isn’t a huge deal for LBs.  It is crucial for OL/DL.  They are engaging each other immediately and the arms can decide who wins the battle.  LBs do use their arms to keep blockers away, but the LB also plays more in space and can put his body in the right  position.

* Luke Kuechly’s value.  If Luke compares to Sean Lee, why is he worth pick 15?  Sean slid because of fears on his repaired knee.  If he had been injury free, Sean might have gone in the 15-25 range.  Kuechly isn’t a slam dunk Top 20 pick for all teams.  I think the Eagles have to be interested because he fits such a critical need (although we expect that spot to be filled in FA).

* Dontari Poe.  Typo.  He was 346.

* Ladarius Green.  If the Eagles have interest, it would be as a TE/WR hybrid.  They would move him around.  Let him work in the slot and outside.  Try to create matchups.  He’s tall and fast.  Has good hands.  There are some issues, but you could find a way to use him.  Talented player.

* Jeff Allen as OT target?  Maybe, but not likely.  Could go as early as the 2nd round. I don’t think he fits us enough for the Eagles to take him that early.  Better blocker than athlete.  Mudd likes athletes.

* Zach Brown as SAM?  I think he could have handled the spot at 236.  Seeing him at 244 is interesting.  Most guy lose weight to run as fast as possible.  Brown gaining weight is a good sign.  He’s naturally fast so he focused on strength, power.  Still isn’t worth pick 15.

  • austinfan

    Guys who impressed me today:

    Hill – thought he was just hype off his incredible yards per catch, then he went out and looked smooth as silk, the speed is nice, but he moves well and can catch, look at the two track guys putting up great times, wouldn’t draft either of them, look ma, no hands!

    Sanu – 4.65 is slow, drops him to the 3rd round for me, you don’t have to be fast, but if you’re that slow, you’re limited in today’s NFL unless you’re 6’3 and can jump out of the building. Blackmon may run 4.6, but I don’t think anyone considers Sanu in the same league as Blackmon as far as grabbing the ball and YAC.

    Wright is going to fall, he just didn’t run fast, doesn’t mean he’s not a good WR, but he’s not that big, now he’s not that fast, he’s lost that “special” factor that jumps you over other guys. Now he’s just a “safe” pick v Hill or someone else who rises. People will go back and see if he was helped by playing with RGIII more than he helped RGIII.

    Adams will be fine, he’s more than fast enough to be a dangerous slot receiver and return man.

    Floyd is certainly pushing Blackmon, he’s not as good, but he’s bigger and faster, so if you’re thinking upside . . .

    Wylie looked really good, he may jump past Adams, he’s got prototype slot receiver size, great speed, good PR.

    Streeter should have stayed in school, big, fast, but watching the gaunlet, he doesn’t look nearly as smooth as Hill. If he stays in school he could have had the big year to make him a 1st rd pick, now he’s just a big gamble. His measureables will result in him being overdrafted.

    Ladarius Green – don’t like his poor performance on agility drills, and he’s fast, but only 238 lbs – he’s basically a big but not especially nifty WR that you have to project to NFL TE (has he ever blocked a NFL caliber DE in his college career?). Eagles already have Brackett, a big WR at 248 lbs who ran a 4.61 and a 6.72 cone drill last year, Green may be the more natural receiver, but Brackett has a year on him in terms of bulking up and learning to block – if you just want a big unpolished WR there are plenty in this year’s draft.

    • TommyLawlor

      Wright is almost 200 pounds. Also, I think he looked awkward coming out of his stance. I’m not sure he’s slow so much as he had bad form. We’ll see what happens at his Pro Day. If he’s slow there, then I get worried.

  • ACViking

    T-LAW wrote:

    “* Ladarius Green. If the Eagles have interest, it would be as a TE/WR hybrid. They would move him around. Let him work in the slot and outside. Try to create matchups. He’s tall and fast. Has good hands. There are some issues, but you could find a way to use him. Talented player.”

    I remember a similarly sized and fast TE — who worked out of the slot — named Cornelius Ingram.

    I think Andy Reid had big plans for Ingram coupled w/ Celek . . . sort of what Belichick did w/ Gronk and Hernandez two years later.

    Wouldn’t it be great to have a huge slot receiver w/ near TE size and who plays with WR speed [T-LAW -- is that right? Does Green play fast? Your comments seem to suggest it.]

    Apologies to Jason Avant. But L-Green looks like another Marques Colston . . . who just happened to be a TE at Hofstra. Before the Saints staff worked him outside the box and put him at WR.
    _________________

    Kuechley’s getting big cudo’s for his instincts, which make up for his size/speed. (Compare LK to J-Trotts. Trotts was a beast, but who sometimes seemed much less instinctive than the way LK’s being described.)

    That said, I still believe the Eagles would have so much more flexibility in the draft if they add an MLB in free agency.
    _________________

    On the topic of WRs, one thing about Hakeem Nicks that always seems to impress is the size of his hands.

    One of T-LAW favorites, Mohamed Sanu, had his hand measured at 10.125 inches. Alshon Jeffrey (T-Law “no like”) measured at 10.25 — biggest hands for WRs. Ladarius Green, like Sanu, also came in at 10.125.

    Michael Floyd and Joe Adams were 9.375 inches. Same with G-Tech’s Stephen Hill.

    Kendall Wright came in at 8.625 inches. And BJ Cunningham (Mich State) had his hands measured at only 8.125.

    Sanu’s hands are nearly a full inch bigger than Floyd and Hill. And 1.5 inches bigger than Wright. That seems like quite a bit when you’re talking about fighting CBs for the ball.

    I’d love to hear T-LAW’s take on how teams factor in the size of a WR’s hands.

    • TommyLawlor

      Big hands are a very good thing on possession receivers. Those guys are going to be in traffic or tightly covered in space. They need every advantage in trying to catch the ball. Big hands can be a big help.

      I think the Eagles need help over the middle. Could be a hybrid like Green or a big WR like M Sanu. Those guys would be well served by having the size to take hits (body) and the ability to hold onto the ball (big hands).

      • austinfan

        If you’re looking at 2012, I’d take Cooper and Harbor over Green, they’re in their 3rd year with this offense.

        Cooper v Sanu would be a better contest, Cooper’s experience and superior athleticism v Sanu’s hands.

        But unless you’re talking Blackmon, Wright or Floyd, who’s really going to be a reliable target as a rookie starter?

        However, what gets interesting is the dynamics of some players rising, pushing down someone like Sanu and Criner maybe as low as our 3rd rd pick. Depending on what they get for Asante and maybe DeSean (though with all the speedsters in this draft, does he still have significant trade value with his contract demands?), they could go WR in the 2nd and 4th rounds and still have plenty of ammo for other positions.

        • http://twitter.com/EWeaver34 Eric Weaver

          Coby Fleener, please.

    • hallcr3

      I like your thoughts on Andy’s “plan” for Ingram and Celek.

      Interesting…. Andy thought of the idea before B.B. We just gambled on the wrong TE hybrid.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AHVR5EZERRCZSD77DMKWAEEPLA Steve H

    I thought Lamichael James was really intriguing, he appeared to have a lot more first step explosion than the other RB’s who were running, even the guys with times close to his. First step explosion imo is key for a smaller guy.

  • Cafone

    My 2012 draft wish list:
    1) no picks from Temple, Rutgers or Notre Dame.

    • TommyLawlor

      Noted.

    • hallcr3

      Seconded.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=47904149 Liam Garrett

    I’m starting to fixate on Stephen Hill’s numbers. Should we target this guy? Is there now (and if not, when can we expect) a reasonable expectation of where he will be drafted? Did he move himself into the 1st round, today?

    I’m not an expert at this stuff. Someone tell me why I shouldn’t be so excited.

    • TommyLawlor

      Hill might now have moved into the 30-45 range. Game tape is still key, but since he only had 28 catches this year the Combine means more for him.

      • bdbd20

        Just curious, how do you judge a guy like this from game tape?

        WR in that kind offense might have more carries than catches.

        What do you look for?

        • TommyLawlor

          Raw physical ability. Fast? Quick? Athletic? Stuff like that you can see, at least to a certain extent. Judging football stuff like hands/ball skills/route running…that is a lot tougher. You don’t have a big enough size sample to know for sure what a guy can and can’t do.

          • brza

            I don’t understand how Georgia Tech recruits freak athlete WRs in that offense. Why did Calvin Johnson and Hill with comparable size and speed want to go to an option offense where their main job is to block and only get 30-40 passes thrown their way?

          • bdbd20

            I believe Megatron was there before they hired Paul Johnson and installed the option.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DPZBMFBVAVUM65GQ3VDXOQDYZQ Morton

    When a team drafts for need, it sets itself up to be good.

    When a team drafts for value, it sets itself up to be great.

    Luke Kuechly is strictly a “need” pick at #15. He’s a marginal athlete who will always display limitations on the field vs. better athletes of the NFL i.e. he’s no Urlacher or Willis, and that type of LB is the only kind that is worthy of a top-20 pick.

    The Eagles would be best served to pick the best player available instead, and avoid the pitfalls of the past two drafts.

    • hallcr3

      Ahhh, but how do you determine BPA? You look at what the team NEEDS.

      Example: What if by the grace of God Matt Kalil and Morris Claiborne were available at #15? Who do you take?

      • sonofdman

        I think if you are drafting best player available, you take Kalil or Claiborne if they drop to #15 (assuming that everyone’s “big boards” are correct).

      • D3FB

        Whoever you have graded higher,

  • Skeptic_Eagle

    Darn, almost bummed by Stephen Hill’s 40 time. As I commented in your mock draft, I wanted to see the Eagles try and grab him later than the 2nd, was hoping he lasted more toward the middle of the draft. In my opinion, he’s still a work in progress. I think he might get overdrafted by someone. He could have come in here and worked as a deep threat/red zone target and they could have brought him along slowly.

    Michael Floyd doesn’t play that fast, and I don’t think he plays like a 220 pound WR, either. After he catches the ball, he looks for the sideline more than he looks to break tackles. That was one of the things I liked about Hill, he’s got that fire. Like Luke Kuechly, I don’t think Floyd’s terrible, but I don’t think he’s a top 15 talent.

    Curious, what do you think of some of the burner guys ability to play outside? Are guys like TJ Graham, Travis Benjamin, or Chris Givens perimeter players, or are they strictly slot guys? I can’t help but think of Percy Harvin when I see Givens’ body type, though Givens hasn’t had that same kind of success running the ball, I think he’s probably a more polished WR; he’s my favorite WR of that group, and I think he’s going to make plays in the NFL. That speed is real.

  • Baloophi

    (more) RG3 INTERVIEW INTERPOLATION

    I gather many of you watched the NFLN coverage and saw the Eisen/Mayock/Warner interview of RG3. If not, the commentators were speculating on why SF would meet with him, and RG3 said, “Maybe they wanted to ask me about Kendall Wright.”

    I think someone(s) on here had that speculation that the Eagles could’ve been using the same strategy.

    I also wonder if they used the time to get his thoughts on Ganaway and Blake (center). Get a sense of whether Ganaway can block and catch (from the QB’s perspective). Not sure we’d need to do anything at center but maybe they think he can play guard?

    Last crazy thought – Andy Reid wanted to ask about a few specific plays he wants to appropriate for our own playbook…

    Ha!

  • Skeptic_Eagle

    Another great target who flew under the radar in workouts (but turned in a solid effort) is Marvin Jones from Cal. Besides the Senior Bowl, a low profile is the only kinda profile this guy has. Huge mitts for a guy his size, and it translates, because he catches everything near him. With all these other guys maybe moving up boards, maybe Marv lasts until the 3rd.

  • Septhinox

    “Ga Tech WR Stephen Hill ran 4.30″

    Is that a mis-type or is that a holy -itsh? That is insane if correct. That’s 5 hundredths faster than Desean ran at almost 7 more inches and 45 more lbs. If so, we NEED to take him with one of our seconds!!

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=47904149 Liam Garrett

      The official time was adjusted to 4.36.

      But, yeah, it’s pretty impressive, as are a lot of his other numbers. (e.g. He posted a 39.5in. vertical.)

    • iskar36

      His combine numbers are crazy impressive. I don’t follow college football closely, so can anyone tell me what his game tape is like? What are his strengths (presumably speed and size) and weaknesses? Is he an Al Davis-type pick, or does his game tape actually support him being an early round pick?

      • Skeptic_Eagle

        That timed speed is a little deceptive, IMO. I think he trained to open up an already large stride to take less steps/cover more ground. He plays fast, but not quite that fast.

        He comes from a running offense, so he didn’t get many opportunities to catch the ball. When he did, it was for a lot of yards.

        His strengths are that he’s fast (but not Desean fast) and physical. By physical I mean he can jump and beat a DB in the air for the ball. Great leaping ability and body control. He can definitely make contested catches. He can also pick up yards after the catch. His frame is a little leggy, but he plays with fire. That fire also translates into his blocking. Coming from a running offense has it’s benefits, because he’s pretty nasty at blocking for a WR. He has pretty decent hands and ability to pluck the ball, rather than letting it get at his body.

        He needs to develop his route running. It was a very limited tree at GA Tech. He needs to develop suddenness and crispness in/out of his breaks. He also needs to work on his concentration, which can lapse, and lead to easy drops. He’s more of a glider than a quick burst guy. I’d also like to see him put on maybe 10 more pounds. He’s got a rocked up upper body, but his lower half is a little thin. Maybe I’m just nitpicking. His limited college production was due to the offense, so that’s not so much a concern.

        I think a lot of his issues can be fixed with coaching, but I don’t see the guy coming into the league and going for 1200 yards and 10 TDs in his first year, and probably not his second. I think he could contribute to a redzone package, and you can send him on deep routes hoping to get behind a safety. Basically, the role that they drafted Riley Cooper for. Eventually, I think he could be an upper tier WR in the league if everything turns out right for him, he receives good coaching, and has a good work ethic.

  • hallcr3

    As for drafting a WR at #15… remember this draft could be a little different for Andy. If he truly is on the hot seat, he might think Michael Floyd can help his cause.

    I’m not necessarily for it, but I’d understand it.

  • metaReign

    Lot of talented receivers, to choose from and add to the competition, build into the depth chart. Those are the least of our worries, ILB/MLB is the most needed fill-in, we also need someone to be a fill in for ST Colt Anderson, I hope he’ll be ready by TC.

    I’ve a question, why Brian Quick isn’t on the list of receivers?
    Just curious, because he has such natural abilities and great balances, he’ll push the extra once of speed to reach for the ball. He’s not that fast, but has quick decision-making once the ball is caught, such as creating miss tackles and run for that extra yard.

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  • ceteris_paribus1776

    anyone note that Andrew Luck’s 3-cone drill was better than Hill

  • http://twitter.com/SKOHR Thomas Kohr

    If Sanu is picked by the Eagles I will immediately buy the jersey. I’d love to see him catching passes from Vick. Obviously 4.67 isn’t the fastest time but I don’t think anyone expected him to be burning people down the sidelines anyway. Almost all of his other measurables were solid, which to me shows that he is a strong and athletic guy who can make catches in traffic and break arm tackles.

    Kendall Wright was probably the biggest surprise to me at 4.61. I thought he would definitely be closer to that 4.40 range, he was constantly running away from people in college.

    How about Bruce Irvin posting an unofficial 4.43! Can he catch? Andre Branch putting up an unofficial 4.62 at 259 pounds is pretty darn impressive too.

  • philiafan14364

    How about Tommy Streeter? Big and fast and will probably be around early in the third.